Chapter 43: I Don’t Know Nothing
Lordi Payne indeed made it back to Lothgar City safe and sound, just as Chen Haunt had hoped. Under the iron rule of the Abyss Pit Sect, the Holy Sect's authority was absolute. Any disciple in peril—if aid was withheld and later discovered—meant entire clans could face extermination! Especially since Lordi Payne had sought help from San's Trade, a trade group that thrived solely on Jarl Drainwood's favor. Once his nameplate was verified, they didn't dare hesitate.
They abandoned their cargo by the roadside, cleared out the finest carriage, and carefully loaded Lordi Payne and his Blade of Life Hater aboard. They triple-checked the scene for any forgotten items, leaving the weaker members behind and rallying the strongest riders—two horses per person—to escort the carriage at breakneck speed to Lothgar City!
The team tore through the wilds, the horses' hooves pounding against the earth like thunder. They reached the city gate in record time. A rider galloped ahead, shouting at the top of his lungs, "San's Trade has found an Abyss Pit Sect disciple unconscious by the roadside—he claims urgent business for Jarl Drainwood!"
The gate guards paled, their faces draining of color as they rushed to report to their captain. The captain, grim-faced and sweating, escalated the matter up the chain of command. The carriage had barely entered the city when Jarl Drainwood himself materialized before it, his presence commanding and his expression grave.
Ignoring the kneeling crowd, Drainwood flung back the carriage curtain with a swift motion. His sharp eyes assessed Lordi Payne's condition, and after a moment, he relaxed slightly. "Just spiritual exhaustion—no other injuries," he murmured in a relief. "Fetch me a Spirit Restore Pill."
The steward scurried off, returning moments later with the precious pill. Drainwood gently fed it to Lordi Payne, channeling a stream of spiritual energy to dissolve the pill and aid its absorption. Moments later, Lordi Payne stirred, his eyelids fluttering open.
"Young Friend Payne," Drainwood immediately asked, his tone urgent but calm, "What happened that you needed to report to me so urgently? Where are Young Friend Chen and the others?"
Lordi Payne's heart raced. He had invoked Jarl Drainwood's name to intimidate the caravan—local authority often trumped distant holy sect clout in the wilds. It had worked, but now he needed a convincing story, or this wouldn't end well for him.
Both the Demon Beast Man-Faced Spider and Drainwood were at the Foundation Stage, but for Lordi Payne, one wrong step here in the city could be deadlier than facing the Man-Faced Spider itself.